


For The Empire

by MsLanna



Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-12
Updated: 2017-11-12
Packaged: 2019-02-01 10:34:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12703203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsLanna/pseuds/MsLanna
Summary: In lieu of the 500k Thrawnera slow burn enemies to lovers that somebdoy really, really should write - a ficletinspired by this gifset.





	For The Empire

Soldiers die. It was the truth of war. Soldiers died everyday and it was your job to make it worth something. Thrawn glared at the displays. The simple truth of war had caught up with him. He did not like it.

"She is our best pilot," Agent Kallus had pointed out correctly when Thrawn hesitated. "And it has taken you enough time to turn her. It would be a waste not to use her now."

It had indeed taken a lot of time, Thrawn had to agree. Time and a more personal investment than he had expected. But it had been worth it. Captain Hera Syndulla was one of a kind. She definitely was their best shot at succeeding. That did not mean he like it.

He had risked the lives of soldiers for less. He had sent soldiers into certain death for information. And whatever else, Captain Syndulla was a soldier first. Just as he was a Grand Admiral first.

Thrawn disliked the idea of losing Hera to their plan anyway.

"Agent Kallus is right," she had replied. Of course. Soldier first. "And I can do it. It will involve some tricky flying especially here, here and there." She pointed into the three dimensional map. "But I have flown worse."

There had been no path around it. Standing at the command console, Thrawn knew that getting personally involved had been a mistake. It made him disapprove of his own decisions. Decisions that were necessary and right. Like Hera, he knew that they were fighting for a greater goal, a goal well worth dying for.

It had been one of the reasons that recruiting her had justified all the investment. Once convinced, Hera believed with the fire of her soul. Unstoppable, fierce – she was a woman to reckon with. In all respects.

"You worry too much." Her breath warm on his skin.

She was right. It was a risky plan and the back-up plans allowed no survivors. He worried. Not for the mission. Not for her because she would succeed or die proudly trying.

"I do." The familiar pattern on her lekku living art under his fingers. Not a mistake. Every second was worth the pain of possibly missing her later.

"You planned this," her voice calming. "I trust you."

A last lingering kiss. A gentle tingle still on his lips as Thrawn gazed at the displays.

So far everything was going according to plan. But as she had said, he had planned it. If any course of action could take out the occupied Tetum Base, this would.

"Approaching," Hera reported in. "They are raising the shields."

"Launch squadrons," Thrawn ordered.

"Launched and attacking," came the reply from the crew pits.

For a moment Thrawn watched the fighters engage with the rebel squadrons. There was back-up if they proved insufficient. But that had to wait. "Get us into position."

There had been a very small chance that a single transport pursued by a Star Destroyer might get on the rebels soft side and be allowed to dock, leaving their shields down long enough for a precision strike. Unfortunately, this was not the case. So they would be doing this the hard way.

"Take out the read shield generators," Thrawn ordered.

The turbolasers of the _Chimaera_ decked the station with fire. The only reason the rebels had been able to take the station was that it was incomplete. Hull panels were missing, leaving it open to boarding one the shields were incapacitated. From their reactions, Thrawn knew that the rebels though he was going for the same approach.

"The rebels are launching the base's fighters."

"Launch special squadrons and tell our remaining fighters to withdraw." Disappointing, that the rebels should think to confuse him so easily. But they were getting desperate. The backup should have been here several minutes ago.

"I have mapped the necessary nav points and am ready to go in," Hera's voice came over the comms.

"Excellent." Thrawn doubted the rebels had even noticed what Hera had been doing. "Prepare the charges and get ready to move in." This is where it became tricky. "Shield status of the station?"

"Ready to give, Sir."

The turbolaser fire vanished on the shield like fireworks. It was taking too long.

"Enemy fleet dropping from hyperspace, Sir." The crewer sounded anxious. "They are launching their fighters."

"Launch standard fighters and keep them away from the station," Thrawn ordered. "Captain Syndulla?"

"Ready when you are, sir."

With a last salvo, the shields of the station dropped. Hera flew her small freighter into the metal skeleton of Tetum Base. After a few moments two rebel fighters decided to follow. Before he could say anything, one of his squad leaders order two fighters to into pursuit. Thrawn straightened into parade rest.

There was nothing to do but wait. The battle stretched in slow minutes. The rebel cruisers did not attack. Keeping their distance just as the Star Destroyer did they sent backup for their fighters and tried to manoeuvre into advantageous positions once his squadrons were defeated. Hopeless optimism.

"All charges in place," here reported in.

"Understood. All ships, retreat. Ion canon batteries, stand by to fire."

It was impossible to take out a base of this size with the ion canons of a Star Destroyer, even four would be insufficient. But there was always a way. The modified signal boost enhancers were one. Placed strategically, they forwarded the ion charges into all connected systems while simultaneously reprogrammed all accessible systems to feed more power into the blast.

The effect on electronics was devastating but it would leave the station intact. The effect on life-forms depended heavily on their distance to affected systems and the amount of them surrounding the individual. Mos would be knocked unconscious while some less fortunate were likely to die from burns.

Unfortunately, the charges needed to be activated from close up and then detonated within seconds through an ion beam. It left Hera precious little time to get out of the compromised station before her ship was caught up in the effect. Considering the number of systems that comprised the freighter and Hera's proximity to them – Thrawn pressed his lips together.

"Lighting them up now; heading out." Hera's words were followed by a white dot on the displays showing where she had activated the charges.

Thrawn took a slow breath. "Fire ion canon."

The blue pulse swept away from the _Chimaera_. Within a second it hit Tetum Base, sparking a bright electric storm.

"Captain Syndulla?"

"Working on it, Sir."

Thrawn could hear the tension in her voice. He could almost see the tell-tale narrowing of her eyes, the concentrated snarl -

The electric shut-down continued. Bit by bit the station lit up in brilliant white spark before it went utterly dark. The rebel fighters were torn, trying to reach the station for extractions.

"Commence attack on the rebel cruisers." Thrawn's voice was calm. Maybe a little tense. His eyes kept following the ion blast devouring the station. There was no sign of Hera's freighter.

The _Chimaera_ moved into attack position. Almost immediately, the rebels recalled their fighters and prepared for hyperspace. The first salvo of proton torpedoes hit the leading vessel. The TIEs converged on their new target. The ion pulse on the station fizzled out slowly. Thrawn's lips tightened.

"Sir?" A crewer called up from the trench. "Message coming in from Captain Syndulla. Her freighter was caught in the ion blast and is drifting on the other side of Tetum Base. All systems down except emergency life support. She diverted energy from it to send the message."

"Acknowledged." Thrawn closed his eyes briefly. "Dispatch pick up unit and have the boarding parties launch as soon as the rebels have left."

You worry too much, Hera's voice echoed in his mind. Thrawn closed his eyes again. He did. It was not useful or helping and still he could not stop. Hera was, right now, drifting in space completely vulnerable, armed only with her trust in his abilities. He narrowed his eyes. This needed to end. The rebels needed to be crushed. Soon.

He would find a way. There was no safety for soldiers in war. The simple solution was to restore peace. Thrawn watched as the last rebel ship entered hyperspace. The boarding crews launched immediately. They would bring prisoners. Information to engineer the downfall of the rebellion. Information Thrawn felt the urgent need for.

There was no peace on the borders of the Chiss Ascendancy. So data for comparison was as ample as it was unequivocal: keeping the peace was the safer occupation.

"We have retrieved Captain Syndulla," the retrieval crew's commander reported in. "Minor damage to the ship, no injuries."

"Excellent." Thrawn allowed himself a small smile. "I will debrief the captain in person."

"You better," he heard Hera grumble in the background.

Yes, he better. Taking a deep breath, Thrawn turned away from the command consoles. They had a rebellion to crush and – more personal matters to attend to.


End file.
